Yarn shipping package



March 10, 1964 A. L. GOTTILY 3,124,242

YARN SHIPPING PACKAGE Filed Nov. 21, 1960 INVENTOR. A rthur LG cttily ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofi ice 3,124,242 YARN SHIPPING PACKAGE Arthur L. Gottily, Mayfair, Pensacola, Fla., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Monsanto Chemical Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 70,756 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to a new and useful yarn shipping package. More particularly, the invention relates to a new and useful yarn shipping package comprising a yarn holder on which filamentary material is wound enclosed in a bag-like container so that the said material in individual package form is protected during shipping and handling thereof.

In order to protect wound filamentary material during shipment to customers, such as when wound on holders, for example, bobbins, pirns, and the like, it is necessary because of the demands of customers to wrap individually each holder and the material wound thereon. This protects the material from contamination by dust and dirt and also protects the outer windings from damage due to contact with other yarn packages and with shipping cartons.

Various yarn shipping packages have been employed heretofore. However, the prior art coverings for the yarn holders have many disadvantages such as being difiicult to remove. Furthermore, it is now common practice to attach a tab on the top ends of the holders on which identifying data are imprinted. These data indicate the type of yarn, the total denier thereof, the number of individual filaments of the yarn, etc. In many instances it is desirable to have such data clearly visible. For example, just before shipping it is advantageous to a yarn manufacturer for inspection and quality control purposes to photograph a shipping carton of holders so as to have a permanent record of the identifying data on the tabs of each of the holders. The known coverings are bag-like containers that completely enclose the yarn and holder. It is quite obvious that due to the undesirable light reflectant properties of such containers, one cannot satisfactorily photograph the shipping package and obtain a clear picture of the indicia on the tabs on the ends of the holders even though the container be transparent.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a yarn shipping package of the general character described, which is particularly adapted for shipping filamentary material wound on a holder.

It is another object of the present invention to provide, as an article of manufacture, a yarn shipping package for individual holders and yarn wound thereon that maintains the yarn confined from dust and dirt during shipping and handling which at the same time permits one end of the holder to be in full view.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a special type of yarn shipping package constructed to reduce to a minimum the hand motions necessary for opening said package and to provide unobstructed visibility of indicia on the end of the yarn holder for proper identification of the filamentary material contained therein without the necessity of removing the holder from its wrapper.

Other objects of the instant invention will be apparent from the description thereof hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of a yarn package constructed in accordance with the instant invention;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are perspective views of one yarn package of a type of the present invention positioned in a shipping carton, illustrating the quick removability of part of the wrapper.

3,124,242 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 In general, the objects of the present invention are accomplished by employing a particular type of a baglike container made of a flexible film or sheet material, preferably transparent and composed of a synthetic .thermoplastic substance. The container is constructed of a rectangular blank of said film doubled over in approximately the center thereof to form a line of fold across the width of the blank and to form two opposed walls having edges extending generally perpendicularly from the line of fold. The adjacent edges of the walls are sealed along their lengths. A portion of the container is cut away to provide an aperture near the line of fold of approximately the same area as that of the cross-sectional area of an end of the holder on which yarn is wound to accommodate protrusion only of an end portion of the holder therethrough, thus maintaining the yarn enclosed in the bag-like container. The end of the doubled blank opposite to the line of fold is opened; and the yarn holder, together with the yarn wound thereon, is inserted through the open end suificiently that one end of the holder protrudes through the aperture in the container whereby indicia on the protruding end of the holder are in full view. The length of the container exceeds the length of the holder inserted therein to provide a flap at the open end of the container that may be folded or sealed so that the end of the holder not protruding from the container is completely encased. The holder is preferably elongated and tubular, having a uniform diameter from one end to the other. The holder is ordinarily headless, that is, it has no end flanges as in a spool, although it is possible that the end of the holder not protruding from the container may be flanged. Windings of filamentary material are disposed about the periphery of the holder and along the length thereof except for a short distance from each end in a conventional manner. However, on one end provision may be made for the location of a transfer tail. In accordance with one aspect of the invention the walls of the doubled blank are weakened such as by being scored or perforated, along a line extending across the width thereof so that the end of the blank having the aperture therein can be torn away easily along the line of score or perforation.

With reference now in detail to the drawing, FIGURE 1 shows a yarn shipping package constructed in accordance with the invention. A bag-like container is generally designated by numeral 10 and is made of a supple transparent film, preferably formed from a synthetic polymeric thermoplastic substance such as polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. The just mentioned specific polymers are exemplary; but any suitable polymeric material having film-forming properties may be used, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, super polyamides and the like.

Container 10 is manufactured from a rectangular integral blank of suitable gauge and dimensions of the aforesaid thermoplastic substance. The blank is doubled over to form a line of fold 12. The edges 14 and 16 extending perpendicularly from the line of fold are sealed such as by the application of heat. Although heat seal is preferred, it is within the scope of the invention to seal the adjacent edges in other manners, such as by the use of adhesives. Near the line of fold a part of the blank is cut away to provide an aperture 18. The container 10 encompasses yarn 20 wound on a bobbin or other yarn holder 22. The bobbin is preferably a hollow elongated cylinder and is of a conventional type used by synthetic filament manufacturers for shipping yarns made by them to customers for subsequent conversion into fabric or other end uses. The top end portion 24 of holder 22 protrudes through the aperture 18 and contains no yarn wound thereon. On the top side of end portion 24 indicia 26 are placed so that the yarn as to its type, denier, etc. is properly identified.

The end of the bag which is opened when the holder containing the yarn is inserted therein extends below the bottom end portion 28 of said holder 22 to form a flap 30. The flap may be folded under as shown in FIGURE 1 so as to provide for complete encasement of end portion 28 of the holder 22 not protruding from the container. In some cases it may be desirable to heat seal the end edges of flap 30 as indicated above.

Near its top the container may be scored or perforated along line 32. It is quite desirable that end perforations 34 be provided through the seams formed by the seals of edges 14 and 16. The yarn package is ordinarily placed in a shipping carton for subsequent transport to customers.

FIGURES 2 and 3 show the yarn package of the present invention in such a carton. It is quite evident that the top end carrying the indicia is completely visible and a photograph thereof can be made without the usual distortion caused by uneven light reflectance of a bag completely enclosing a yarn holder. The holder 22 and yarn 20 can be removed easily by grasping the container at either corner at the ends of the line of fold, smartly snapping off the tear-away top 40 of the container 10 and then lifting the holder out of the container.

By means of the present invention there is provided a novel yarn package for shipping yarn wound on a bobbin or the like, the package being easily constructed and manufactured. The package is advantageous in that it prevents dirt and dust from coming in contact with the yarn. Efforts heretofore required to open prior bags and remove the yarn therefrom are reduced to a minimum. When employing the package, the yarn may be easily identified by reference to the indicia on the top end of the bobbin, said indicia being completely visible. Numerous other advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Since it is apparent that many changes and modifications can be made to the above-described details without departing from the spirit of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a yarn shipping package comprising, in combination:

(a) an elongated tubular yarn holder of circular cross section having windings of filamentary material thereabout, said holder being headless and having a top end portion on which no filamentary material is wound,

(b) a supple bag-like container made of a transparent film constructed from a rectangular integral blank of said film doubled over near the center thereof to form a line of fold across the width of the blank and to form two opposed walls having edges extending generally perpendicularly from the line of fold, adjacent edges of said walls being heat sealed together along the lengths thereof,

(0) a portion of the container near the line of fold cut away to accommodate the protrusion therethrough of only the said top end portion of the holder, 1

(d) the length of the container exceeding that of the holder enclosed therein to form a container flap that is folded under the bottom end portion of the holder,

(0) each of the said walls being weakened along a line below and substantially parallel with respect to the line of fold to provide quick detachability of the part of the container above the line where the walls are weakened,

(f) and completely visible indicia disposed on the top side of the end portion of said holder on which no filamentary material is wound.

2. The package as defined in claim 1 where the container is constructed from polyethylene film.

3. The package as defined in claim 1 where the container is constructed from polypropylene film.

4. The package as defined in claim 1 where the walls are weakened by small perforations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,949,121 Herder Feb. 27, 1934 1,997,426 Morse Apr. 9, 1935 2,851,212 Parmer Sept. 9, 1958 2,921,676 Carignan Jan. 19, 1960 2,940,686 Windisch June 14, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,655 Great Britain 1906 460,789 Great Britain Feb. 4, 1937 1,157,882 France Jan. 6, 1958 

1. AS A NEW ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A YARN SHIPPING PACKAGE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) AN ELONGATED TUBULAR YARN HOLDER OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION HAVING WINDINGS OF FILAMENTARY MATERIAL THEREABOUT, SAID HOLDER BEING HEADLESS AND HAVING A TOP END PORTION ON WHICH NO FILAMENTARY MATERIAL IS WOUND, (B) A SUPPLE BAG-LIKE CONTAINER MADE OF A TRANSPARENT FILM CONSTRUCTED FROM A RECTANGULAR INTEGRAL BLANK OF SAID FILM DOUBLED OVER NEAR THE CENTER THEREOF TO FORM A LINE OF FOLD ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE BLANK AND TO FORM TWO OPPOSED WALLS HAVING EDGES EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY FROM THE LINE OF FOLD, ADJACENT EDGES OF SAID WALLS BEING HEAT SEALED TOGETHER ALONG THE LENGTHS THEREOF, (C) A PORTION OF THE CONTAINER NEAR THE LINE OF FOLD CUT AWAY TO ACCOMMODATE THE PROTRUSION THERETHROUGH OF ONLY THE SAID TOP END PORTION OF THE HOLDER, (D) THE LENGTH OF THE CONTAINER EXCEEDING THAT OF THE HOLDER ENCLOSED THEREIN TO FORM A CONTAINER FLAP THAT IS FOLDED UNDER THE BOTTOM END PORTION OF THE HOLDER, (E) EACH OF THE SAID WALLS BEING WEAKENED ALONG A LINE BELOW AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH RESPECT TO THE LINE OF FOLD TO PROVIDE QUICK DETACHABILITY OF THE PART OF THE CONTAINER ABOVE THE LINE WHERE THE WALLS ARE WEAKENED, (F) AND COMPLETELY VISIBLE INDICIA DISPOSED ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE END PORTION OF SAID HOLDER ON WHICH NO FILAMENTARY MATERIAL IS WOUND. 